First steps in photophysics. I. Fluorescence yield and radiative rate coefficient of 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene in paraffins.

The fluorescence quantum yield of 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene (BPEA) is almost unity in every examined solvent. Using different hydrocarbons, one can make a convenient and sufficiently accurate experimental test for determination of the extent of the refractive index correction needed in fluorescence quantum yield determination on a given fluorometer. By comparison of the measurements in n-pentane-cis-decaline or n-hexane-toluene solvent pairs, the requirement of the n(2) correction is confirmed for most of the fluorometers; however, for one of the examined pieces of equipment the necessary correction proved to be slightly lower. By excited state's lifetime measurements, the refractive index dependence of the fluorescence rate coefficient was reexamined. At 25 °C for BPEA the relationship is in agreement with Bakhshiev's prediction: the experimentally determined exponent of n in the rate coefficient deriving equation is around 1.32 using different paraffins as solvents. The negative temperature coefficient of the radiative rate in part originates from the temperature dependence of the refractive index, while also a small intrinsic contribution has been found.